


Three Words

by merlypops



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempt at Humor, Best Friends, Except not quite, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Love Confessions, M/M, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-06
Updated: 2014-08-06
Packaged: 2018-02-12 00:57:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2089677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merlypops/pseuds/merlypops
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'It should have been easy.<br/>All the guys at ‘Rock Sound’ had said was “Describe Michael in three words.”<br/>Calum just wished he could think of three that weren’t: ‘I love you.’<br/>He wasn’t having much luck.'</p><p>
  <b>Calum walks in love with his best friend and it kind of sucks.</b>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Three Words

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by both the band's "Getting to know..." interview with 'Rock Sound', and by a certain quote from Kiersten White's 'The Chaos of Stars', because it's utterly beautiful.
> 
> I lifted certain parts of the quote directly into my story because they're amazing and I can't compete with that sort of flawless writing, but I'd like to take this opportunity to say that: no, I don't own that quote, no, I don't own the guys, and no, I'm making no money from this (unforunately).
> 
> Also, I'm sorry for swearing in this so much. It just kind of happened.
> 
> Anyhow, please enjoy!

It should have been easy.

All the guys at ‘Rock Sound’ had said was “Describe Michael in three words.”

Calum just wished he could think of three that weren’t: ‘ _I love you_.’

He wasn’t having much luck.

Ashton and Luke were already jokingly muttering words to each other while the cameras were set up but Calum was fretting even though he _knew_ it was only a stupid interview, just like they’d done _hundreds_ of times before.

Michael was on the other side of the room in front of a red background, his tongue sticking out as he did the sign of the horns, holding both hands out in front of him in typical Michael style. Calum smiled slightly, shaking his head before he turned back to the others and promptly flushed scarlet as his two remaining bandmates gave him knowing looks.

“Piss off,” Calum muttered and Ashton looked like he was considering _tickling_ Calum or something equally terrible when the guy behind the camera straightened up.

“We’re ready for you now, guys,” he said. “Right. It doesn’t matter what order you guys speak in as it’ll be edited later. Who wants to go first?”

Ashton smirked at Calum as he walked past with a deliberately casual: “I volunteer.”

“I wish we’d never shown him _The Hunger Games_ ,” Luke muttered and Calum snorted with laughter as Ashton stood confidently in front of the camera.

“Okay,” he said. “I’m describing Michael. _Right_ …” He drew the last word out as he thought and then a stupid smile appeared on his face. “My three words for Michael are: _ridiculous coloured hair_.”

Luke rolled his eyes but his smile was fond as he drifted over next. Ashton moved aside, gave Calum _another_ knowing look – the smug bastard! – before he sloped over to the other side of the room where he’d left his bag.

The guy behind the camera nodded to show he was ready and Luke gave his answer too.

“Michael is…” His voice trailed away and he looked lost for several long moments before his blue eyes flickered over to their bandmate who was still posing in front of the camera. Luke seemed to settle on an answer and he grinned slightly as he spoke. “Michael is loud, proud and… _colourful_.”

The camera guy smiled approvingly and Calum was pretty sure there was an actual _skip_ in Luke’s step as he smiled sweetly at Calum on his way past. “Your turn to describe Mikey now, Cal,” he informed him and Calum glowered but chose not to rise to the bait.

“Okay,” Calum said uncomfortably as Luke disappeared off somewhere to get a drink. “Let’s go.”

The camera guy’s smile was encouraging but Calum couldn’t help feeling awkward and it must have shown on his face because the guy frowned.

“He’s one of your best mates, right? How hard can it be to describe him?”

Calum’s expression was wry. “You have no idea,” he said grimly and the guy started laughing.

“Just give it a shot. We’ll edit it anyway so whatever you say will _probably_ be fine.”

Calum smirked. “Fine,” he said abruptly, pausing to _glare_ at Ashton who was smirking from the bench on the far side of the studio. “Michael is sleepy.”

Ashton must have heard him because he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted: “That’s not enough, Calum! Say something else!”

“Oh for f–” Calum didn’t swear with extreme difficulty because that _really_ wouldn’t have helped his case with Ashton. “Okay, uh… Michael is… I don’t know.”

The photographer seemed to be done now and Michael was strolling leisurely over, a happy expression on his face because they had just been photographed by _Rock Sound_ and that was an absolutely _massive_ deal for them and, sure, Calum could agree with that.

“I don’t know,” Calum said again as his colourful bandmate came to a stop in front of him. “Michael is… _Michael_.” 

*

 Calum didn’t understand why Michael was being weird with him.

The pair were sharing a hotel room just like always but there was a strange underlying _tension_ in the room that wasn’t normally there.

“Mikey?” Calum asked weakly for the _third_ time but his best friend simply grunted something unintelligible and continued playing FIFA, wearing an expression that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a furious kitten.

Calum sighed, dropped his mobile phone on the bed and stalked into the bathroom where he slammed the door a lot harder than was necessary and stood trembling in front of the mirror, his cheeks flushed.

Arguing with Luke and Ashton _sucked_ , sure, but it was always ten times worse with Michael.

Calum tried to tell himself that it was because they’d literally known each other _forever_ but he knew, deep down, it was a _whole_ lot more than that.

Because Calum was in love with Michael.

Calum had done that _one_ thing you were _never_ supposed to do, and he was in love with his best friend, with his _bandmate_ , and he was beyond fucked right now.

Taking as deep a breath as he possibly could, Calum did his best to shake his anxiety away and simply focus on taking a shower, but he could still _feel_ his worry. It was a tight little knot in his chest and, if he didn’t concentrate on keeping his breathing steady, it would run away without him and leave him gasping under the hot spray.

Calum pressed his eyes tightly shut as the water beat down on his bare skin and he tried to work out _why_ Michael was upset with him.

Had he said something stupid or unkind? Had he – _no_.

Calum _knew_ Michael and he also knew exactly how far he could push things before Michael snapped, and Calum would _never_ do that.

So why the _hell_ was Michael being so funny with him?

Calum was determined to find out.

He towelled himself dry roughly, and tugged a t-shirt and a pair of tracksuit bottoms on. His movements were a little more wary as he opened the bathroom door but, as the steam dissipated into the room, Calum found his confidence somewhere.

“Michael, we need to talk.”

The older boy looked up sharply, muttered something about Calum being a stupid bastard who never ‘ _shut the fuck up’_ , and then tried to go back to FIFA, apparently having the _audacity_ to hope that he might have silenced Calum.

And it might have worked too… except Calum wasn’t having any of that tonight because he hadn’t _done anything wrong_ , damnit!

“Michael, seriously,” Calum said and then the television screen went black and Calum was holding a plug and Michael was almost _snarling_ at him. “Dude, I think maybe you’re taking FIFA too seriously.”

“ _Dude_ ,” Michael mimicked spitefully. “I think you maybe need to piss off and leave me alone!”

Calum’s heart ached.

“Mikey, what the _fuck_ did I _do_ to you? Because seriously, tell me right now and I swear to god I’ll never do it again.”

Michael looked taken aback then and his cheeks flushed. “Not telling,” he mumbled childishly and Calum simply sat down on Michael’s bed and wriggled backwards so that he was leaning against the pillows. He crossed his legs at the ankles and folded his arms over his chest, and watched Michael owlishly, doing his best not to show that his heart was trying to thump its way out of his _fucking chest_!

It didn’t take Michael long to break.

“You wouldn’t describe me, Cal!” he suddenly exclaimed. “Ash and Luke did! Luke was really nice and Ash was funny and… and _you_ , Calum! You didn’t even _try_!” Michael's shoulders suddenly slumped and he began to chew on his bottom lip again, fiddling with his fingers nervously. "You didn't care enough."

Calum reeled back like Michael had slapped him and his heart fluttered in his chest.

“You actually think that I… that I don’t _c-care_ about you, Mikey?” Calum gasped and there were actually _tears_ in his eyes and Michael was _never_ going to let him live this down.

Except… _shit_ , Michael looked like _he_ was trying not to cry too and… and maybe this _would_ stay in their hotel room after all.

“Mikey, _fuck_ , I… I _do_ care…” Calum breathed, his eyes panicked. “You don’t even know how _much_ I care…”

‘And you can’t _ever_ know,’ Calum finished silently as one of the tears rolled down his cheek.

“You wouldn't describe me, Cal,” Michael whispered and Calum fought for breath. “If you cared… you… you _would_ have. Calum, we’re supposed to be best friends! _I_ described _you_! I… _Why_ didn’t you describe me?”

Calum fought for coherency and Michael sat cross-legged on the bed, his head bowed, as though expecting rejection. Calum reached out a trembling hand and so, _so_ hesitantly he laid it on Michael’s arm.

“That's because there aren’t _words_ , Mikey,” Calum breathed.

Michael’s sharp intake of breath was the only sound in the room and he looked up jerkily, his emerald eyes red and his cherry-coloured bottom lip caught between his teeth. Calum gently freed it with his finger.

“Mikey, I…” Calum couldn’t do this anymore. “Mikey, I _love_ you and… and every single _stupid_ thing you do makes my heart fucking _sing_ and every word you say sounds like music – even… even fucking ‘ _cuzmuffin_ ’ – and god, how was I supposed to describe you in three words when every word that’s ever been _said_ isn’t enough to describe how… how fucking _amazing_ you are? Mikey, I… I love you more than anything in the world and it’s okay – it’s _more_ than okay – if you don’t feel the same but… _god_ , I just had to tell you because I _can’t_ let you think that I don’t love you with every _fibre_ of my being. Because I do. I really, _really_ fucking do. In fact, I love you with even _more_ than that! Mikey, I... I love you with everything I have... and you _need_ to know that. I can't keep silent anymore. It h-hurts too b-bad..."

Calum's voice cracked and trailed away, and he wondered where all of that had come from, wondered why he’d even _said_ it. He supposed it was a bit like a floodgate. Once he’d started speaking, all of his words had rushed out and, now that they had been spoken, Calum felt different… empty… _lighter_.

Michael had gone very pale and his eyelashes were growing spiky with new tears, and Calum abruptly felt sick. He wanted to get up and leave then, to _run_ although he didn’t know where, but it was almost like Michael could _tell_ because his hand shot out and he was suddenly gripping Calum’s wrist _right_ over the scars there and – and –

Michael lifted Calum’s arm gently, giving him every opportunity to pull away but, when the younger boy didn’t, Michael pressed his lips softly to the scarred skin, like he’d done a million times before.

It felt different this time.

“You fell in _l-love_ with… w-with _me_?” Michael murmured, his expression awestruck, like he didn’t believe something like that was even _possible_.

“I didn’t fall in love with you,” Calum replied and Michael slumped a little. Calum reached up shakily with his free hand and brushed Michael’s hair away from his face, his hand lingering on his cheek. “I didn’t _fall_ – I… I kind of… Mikey, I knew what I was getting myself into.”

Michael gave a tiny smile despite himself and, heartened, Calum continued.

“Mikey, I… I _walked_ into love with you. I had my eyes wide open and I chose to take every step along the way. I mean, yeah, sure, sometimes you’d do something _really_ cute and I’d… I’d stumble or something and love you a little more but… But, Mikey, listen. I… I _do_ believe in destiny and fate, all that shit, but I… I also believe in _choice_. I don’t believe we’d be fated to do anything that we wouldn’t have chosen on our own anyway.”

Michael was staring at him with something like wonder, his green eyes swimming with tears, his lips parted a little in surprise. Calum forced his gaze back to Michael’s as he finished speaking.

“Mikey, I… I’d _always_ choose you. In a thousand lifetimes, in a _million_ different worlds, in _endless versions of reality_ , I’d find you. And I'd choose you. _Every single fucking time_.”

There was silence again but, this time, it was comfortable. Calum relaxed back onto the pillows, content that, at the very least, Michael wasn’t going to sprint away and leave him.

The older boy opened his mouth to speak then and Calum watched him uneasily.

“So… so you’re saying you…” Michael faltered and suddenly smiled in a way that made Calum think he was going to say something either very witty or very _stupid_. It turned out to be the latter. “So you basically _stumbled_ into love with me? _God_ , Cal, I knew you were _clumsy_ and all but…” Michael smiled softly then and Calum managed to resist the urge to either punch Michael in the face or kiss him. Both sounded equally appealing right about now. “It just so happens I – how did you phrase it earlier? – _walked_ into love with you too.”

Their first kiss was a long time coming.

“I have another three words for you, Mikey,” Calum breathed against his lips and Michael smiled, leaning back a little.

“What?” he asked, playing along. He was pretty certain he knew what Calum was going to say and his theory was confirmed a few moments later when Calum pressed another fleeting kiss to his lips before pulling back again.

“I love you,” he said, smiling gently.

Michael’s heart was singing in his chest.

“I love you too,” he said and then he pretended to frown. “Shit, that was _four_ words. I guess I’ll just have to call you ‘ _cuddly_ ’ again.”

Calum pretended to be offended.

“You what?! I literally just spouted fucking _poetry_ for you because you didn’t like the fact that you’re _so_ incredible I basically think you’re indescribable, and you called me _cuddly_?!”

Calum suddenly grinned and kissed the worried expression from Michael’s face.

“Good,” the younger boy joked. “I ate your cereal this morning so I was expecting a lot worse.” Calum’s grin only grew when Michael assumed his ‘ _angry kitten defending its territory_ ’ stance.

“CALUM HOOD, YOU DID _WHAT_?!”

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you guys enjoyed this.
> 
> I feel like my attempts at humour kind of failed but I also found it kind of hard to write this Malum fic? I'm not sure how good this is to be honest so I might give my writing a break for a little while..
> 
> Please let me know what you thought with comments and kudos.
> 
> Also, if you wanted to watch the YouTube clip that inspired this fic, you can watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Akn4WqhOEo
> 
> Thank you for reading <3


End file.
